Tag Archives: collaboration

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Belgium, Brouwerij Lindemans x Mikkeller ApS, Lambic - Fruit

Lindemans x Mikkeller SpontanBasil

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Brewery: Brouwerij Lindemans x Mikkeller ApS
Country: Belgium
ABV: 6%
Style: Belgian Lambic (Fruit)

Brewer Description: (from bottle) SpontanBasil is a unique collaboration between Lindemans and Mikkeller. Breaking the mold among existing beer styles, the brewers combined efforts to craft this old gueuze with a twist, based on a blend of 1 to 2 year-old lambic fermented on oak with fresh basil herb. Refermented in the bottle, SpontanBasil has a golden colour and combines the sourness of lambic with the aromas and flavours of fresh basil. The ideal aperitif, also perfect for food pairing.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.43
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.3

Intro: A 750ml bottle, bottled in February 2015. Poured into a Mikkeller tasting glass.
Appearance: A mostly clear golden orange colour with a just under two finger white head that had decent retention and eventually settled to a thin layer with lots of nice lacing.
Aroma: Extremely herbal with lots of basil and perhaps a hint of lemon and mint. This was surprisingly well combined with some nice funk, oak and hay.
Taste: Sour, basil, lemon, peach, apricot, oak, lemongrass, hay with a light funk.
Mouthfeel: Light bodied with moderate to high carbonation and a dry finish.
Overall: This was much better than expected. I’m usually a little weary about herbally flavoured beers, so the name SpontanBasil does nothing to settle my doubt. But upon getting a whiff of that aroma and tasting it, I found the funk and herbs combined well together and was very enjoyable. Very nice to drink.

3 - Indifferent (might buy, probably drink), Beer Reviews, Fruit Beer, New Belgium Brewing x Brouwerij De Koninck, USA

New Belgium x De Koninck Lips of Faith – Flowering Citrus Ale

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Brewery: New Belgium Brewing x Brouwerij De Koninck
Country: USA
ABV: 7.4%
Style: Fruit Beer
Other Notes: Ale brewed with hibiscus, rose and citrus fruit

Brewer Description: (from bottle) No need to jet to Antwerp when you can open up a bouquet of Flowering Citrus Ale. Thanks to our friends at De Koninck Brewery, we brewed up a summery ale bursting with key lime and whole lemons that mingle with the fragrance of hibiscus, rose petals and strawberry-tinged Mistral hops. Open up and let Belgian summer bloom.

My rating: 3
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.79
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.7

Intro: A 12 fl oz bottle with an enjoy by date of 25th June 2017. Poured into a Lost Abbey teku glass.
Appearance: A lightly hazy golden colour with a two finger white head that had decent retention and left lots of nice lacing.
Aroma: Bready malt, honey, citrusy lemon with hints of flowers.
Taste: Tangy and sweet citrusy orange and lemon, bready malt with a light herbal and flowery flavour.
Mouthfeel: Light bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: This was refreshing and very easy to drink. I’m surprised its 7.4% ABV as it felt like something easily under 5%. Great for a hot summers day.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Omnipollo x Siren Craft Brew x Dave Strachan, Porter - Imperial, Sweden

Omnipollo x Siren x Dave Strachan Lorelei

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Brewery: Omnipollo x Siren Craft Brew x Dave Strachan
Country: Sweden
ABV: 10.5%
Style: American Imperial Porter
Other Notes: Coconut Maple Toast Imperial Porter brewed with Toasted Coconut & Maple Syrup. Brewed by Omnipollo at Dugges Bryggeri

Brewer Description: (from website) Once a year, homebrewers are encouraged to send us their best brews. This time was the fourth time we invite a homebrewer to join us and Siren for a collaborative brew. Dave Strachan submitted a beautiful coconut Porter and so we decided to play along on that theme. Brewed with maple syrup and aromas.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.41
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.3

Intro: A 330ml bottle with a best before date of 15th November 2020. Poured into a snifter.
Appearance: It was black in colour with a thin brown head that dissipated quickly but left spotty lacing.
Aroma: Biscuit, roasted coconut, hazelnut, maple syrup, milk chocolate and vanilla with a hint of booze.
Taste: Sweet maple syrup, vanilla, biscuit and caramel with hints of chocolate and fudge plus a light boozy finish.
Mouthfeel: Medium to full bodied with soft carbonation.
Overall: A nice sweet Imperial Porter. For me I would rank Yellow Belly > Noa > Lorelei > Anagram. But really all four were good.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Omnipollo x Buxton Brewery, Stout - Imperial, Sweden

Omnipollo x Buxton Yellow Belly Sundae

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Brewery: Omnipollo x Buxton Brewery
Country: Sweden
ABV: 12%
Style: American Imperial Stout
Other Notes: Brewed by Buxton Brewery & Omnipollo at Buxton Brewery

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Imperial Stout aged in bourbon barrels.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.48
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.3

Intro: A 330ml bottle with a best before date of 20th June 2020. Poured into a snifter.
Appearance: It was black in colour with a thin mocha head that dissipated quickly and left sparse spotty lacing.
Aroma: Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, peanut, biscuit and caramel. There’s a hint of vanilla possibly from the barrel, but I’m not getting much, if any bourbon.
Taste: Peanut butter, milk chocolate, biscuit, vanilla and bourbon sweetness. There is bitter dark chocolate and a slight boozy harshness on the finish.
Mouthfeel: Creamy, full bodied with light to moderate carbonation and a slight boozy harshness which falls away as it warms.
Overall: Even with no bourbon in the aroma, the aroma was still stunning. Taste was a harsher version of Yellow Belly with alcohol booziness coming through, although this harshness dropped away as it warmed. It was still nice, but it makes this version more of a sipper.

5 - Excellent (must buy), Beer Reviews, Omnipollo x Buxton Brewery, Stout - Imperial, Sweden

Omnipollo x Buxton Yellow Belly

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Brewery: Omnipollo x Buxton Brewery
Country: Sweden
ABV: 11%
Style: American Imperial Stout
Other Notes: Imperial Stout brewed with aromas of peanut and biscuit. Brewed by Omnipollo & Buxton Brewery at Buxton Brewery

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Yellow Belly – a person who is without courage, fortitude , or nerve; a coward. To us, one of the most cowardly deeds is to act anonymously, hiding behind a group. A signifying trait of institutionalised racism. This beer is brewed to celebrate all things new, open minded and progressive. A peanut butter biscuit stout with no biscuits, butter or nuts. Taste, enjoy and don’t be prejudice. Henok Fentie, Karl Grandin, Denis Johnstone, Jake Oulsnam, Geoff Quinn & Colin Stronge.

My rating: 5
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.79
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.7

Intro: A 330ml bottle with a best before date of 11th August 2021. Poured into a snifter glass.
Appearance: Extremely dark brown to black in colour with a very thin brown head that disappears quickly while leaving very sparse lacing.
Aroma: Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, peanuts, wafer biscuit, caramel and toffee.
Taste: Peanut butter, milk chocolate and biscuit sweetness followed by some nice lightly bitter coffee and dark chocolate with hints of peanut here and there.
Mouthfeel: Full bodied, low carbonation with slight alcohol warming.
Overall: Really good wonderful aromas and taste. Even at 11% ABV, it was very easy to drink and definitely a must buy beer for me.